As shown in FIG. 16, a bumper reinforcement member 2 is generally provided at the front end of a vehicle at a predetermined height. The bumper reinforcement member 2 is in a form of beam and extends in a vehicle left and right direction. Heat exchangers 1, 3, such as a radiator and a condenser, are provided at the rear of the bumper reinforcement member 2. Further, air intake openings 21, 22 are formed above and under the bumper reinforcement member 2 to introduce cooling air toward upper side and lower side of core portions of the heat exchangers 1, 3.
In this arrangement, the air is heated while passing through the core portions of the heat exchangers 1, 3. Therefore, auxiliary devices mounted in an engine compartment are cooled by the heated air having passed through the heat exchangers 1, 3. As a result, the temperature difference between the auxiliary devices and the air is reduced. Therefore, it is difficult to effectively cool the auxiliary devices.
Some of the auxiliary devices such as a radar 6 are generally arranged upstream of the heat exchangers 1, 3 with respect to a flow of air, that is, in front of the heat exchangers 1, 3. Thus, such auxiliary devices are cooled by the air before passing through the heat exchangers 1, 3. In a case of a frontal crush, however, the auxiliary devices arranged in front of the heat exchangers 1, 3 will be directly affected by a colliding object x, as shown in FIG. 7.
The bumper reinforcement member 2 is located at the substantially middle position of the core portion of the heat exchangers 1, 3 with respect to a vertical direction, in front of the heat exchangers 1, 3. In the case of frontal crush, crushable boxes 100, which are provided at the right and left ends of the bumper reinforcement member 2, will be deformed. Further, the bumper reinforcement member 2 will be deformed or moved toward the rear position of the vehicle. As a result, the bumper reinforcement member 2 causes damage to the core portions of the heat exchangers 1, 3.